Pneumatically-driven ship



July 3, 192s. 11,676,150.v J. H. MWBY' PNEUMATICALLY DRIVEN SHIPA Filed Jan. 15, 1927 (gw/@y Patented July73`, 1928.

- -niapiicationfiedJamaryi i5, i927; serialv ivo. 161.386, ana in'Australiabeten-erige; i2"

1i This invention; provides means. for driving y a ship or other water borne vessel by; the acl tionof compressed air which is introduced .througliinolzzlesinto an open ended tubular Iii* keel ofthe ship. According to the invention one oimore tubular keels are secured to l the hull of said ship and extend .foral partial or fullvlengtli thereof. Thesekeels are open at both endsr and have'. bell-shaped mouths in order to lfacilitatefthe inflow and outflow of the waterand'at each end are fitted with hinged apertured doors to prevent the entry of sea weed or other objectionable y matter. lVithin these keels are tted one or ,i more nozzles which yare connected byV valve controlled vpipes with an air compressor `installed in the ship.V These vtubular keels have lateral openings in each of which is fitted a blade securedv on a vertical shaft which extends upwardly into the ship and is operated either by manual or motive power.

J y The function of said blades is to outwardlyV and laterally divert the water in korder to .steer the ship in eithervvdirectiony and thus dispense with existing vtypes of steering gear. In order that my invention maybe clearly understood the same will be explained with the aid of the attached drawings wherein Fig. 1 isa side elevation of a ship iitted with my invention.

i Fig. 2 is an end View of same. Fig. 3

is an enlarged longitudinal broken sectional elevation of a tubular keel with its nozzles land diverter blades. 3 Fig. 4v is a broken sectional plan view on f 1 line 4-4 of Fig. 3 one of thediverter blades being shown in dotted lines in its divertingl position.

Fig. 5 is asectional endview on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Referring to said drawings AAt an approved position or positionson .the hull 8 of the ship are secured a plurality of'tubes 9 arranged in central longitudinal alignment with each other, as seen in Fig.

v Vmouthed as at 10 and each mouth is fitted Vwith'an apertured hinged door 11 to 0prevent entry of objectionable matter. Within eachV of said tubes are positioned oppositely directed nozzles 12. .Sincethe tubes are of 'the' saine'construction, it will be sufiicient to 'describe only one of them and the instru-"- mentalitiesl associated therewith. y n

The nozzles 12 are` in Acommunication by means of valve controlled pipes 13 with an vair'compressor 14 installed in tlie hull 8.,

M'iivnuiyiiigricALLYfn-Rrvnii smi?.

1. Said tubes are open ended` and bell` ingsiisf' fitted a )blade 16 keyedon Vfai'vert-ical f l shaft 17v extendingzupwardly finto;the; hail l `and .operated either bymanual or motivel.r

power. This shaft 17 is held in `footstepand f guide bearings 18 and '19 respectively.- In

order to move the ship laterally, one or more transyerse ktubes 20are `fitted within the hull El,v said tubes being open ended andfbell mouthed as at 21 and' fitted with ap'ertured ydoors 22 forthe purpose above mentioned. The tubes 20 are fitted'y with nozzles 2 3 communicating'by valve controlled'pipes 24 with air compressor ,'14'.

t The pipes 13 and 24 lead 4fromthe. bottom of the Vair compressor 14 whereby any Water [which may gain access to the compressor may liow with the air and be ejectedthrough' the nozzles, thus'eifecting an initial impulse limit myself to the number positioned vor length'of the tubular keels `and transverse tubesemployed, nor do I restrictmyself to the number or position of the nozzles or di-y verter blades which may be used. '.Theoperf;

ation ofthe inventionis as follows -`When air is fed from the compressor 14y throughl the pipes 13 and nozzles 12 into the tubularkeels as 9, 'theoutrush of air Causes `tothe suctional' action of. latter. I do not tion tothat in whichl the nozzles arel directed.v the direction in whichthe ship ispropelledA being ydetermined by thefposition ofv the Y nozzles which are. employed. For steering ythe ship one or both` of the'diverter blades n '16 `on thevshaftsy 17 are *givenvv the needful unit of rotation to a position such asshown `by dotted lines in Fig.4,lthus diverting-.por-

tion of the water through its respective opening 15, lwhich action results in -a diver'- conipressor 14 through nozzles 23i'n'to 'the .gen'oe of travel of the ship from that ,offa straight course. yWhen it is desired to v`move p the ship in a lateral direction, air is fed from: 1 z" l$1105 y transverse tubes 20 thus resultingfin a like action'as vthat before described in connection V withl the longitudinal keels.

What I claim as my invention and desire v' 1.V The combination with a hull anda fluid Y to secure by Letters Patent is compressor therein, of -a propelling and ,l i

I steering device for the hull comprising an vthe compressor, and steeringmea-ns,mountedin the Walls of said tube and in the path of the Huidrprojected from one of the nozzles- 2; The combination With a hull and a Huid compressor therein, of a propelling and steering device for the hull comprising an open tube ared ,atboth ends and having opposedlateral openings, a `grate fitted across Veach end of said tube, oppositely directed nozzles mounted centrally of the4 tube,

said nozzles being in communication With p the compressor, and tWo blades pivoted, re-

spectively, in the lateral'openings 'of .the tube and mounted so as to be projected Within vthe tube to deflect the How of fluid from one ,of the nozzles and actingas asteering means for the hull.

In testimony Whereo1 I have hereunto set my hand. 5 u v JoHN HENRY MAWBY. 

